The college application process is quite holistic and multifaceted. While taking rigorous classes and receiving high test scores are very important, high schoolers must also consider what extracurricular activities they can pursue and how they might want to balance their time. There are so many things that you can do, but which ones will colleges be impressed by? 

Extracurricular activities account for about 30% of your college application, so do not take them lightly!

It’s also important to have the right approach towards extracurriculars. The idea behind this blog is not to tell you what a good or bad extracurricular activity looks like. In fact, there’s no such thing! What matters is NOT what you choose to pursue, but how you go about pursuing it, what you can achieve. It is also important that you frame your accomplishments in a way that leaves a lasting impact on the admissions office. This blog will give you some ideas for activities, but what you ultimately pick and how you go about it will be an important decision to think through, especially considering that you may gain strong recommendation letters from the people you work with in these extracurriculars. 

In addition, I, the writer behind this blog piece, am a current student at Harvard University, and I’ll chip in with information regarding my extracurriculars that may help guide you – but don’t follow them to a T, because my activities may be specific to a domestic high school student from New Jersey, and some activities may be preferred by Harvard as opposed to, say, MIT.

Note: while the following extracurricular activities are great, you must also consider if these are right for you. For example, if you’re already super busy with clubs and organizations that are more suited for your interests, focus on those! 

Here are 10 extracurricular activities for high schoolers that admissions officers love:

1. Research Experience

This is a great way for you to show you think of important questions and think through solutions. Research, as an activity, is right up there when it comes to displaying technical knowledge, structured thinking, discipline and leadership. 

For example, you can write to colleges about how you’ve identified an understudied area or important problem, executed your own experiments, and published your article in a prestigious journal under the guidance of a well-respected expert. Some colleges even have a section in their application portal for you to upload supplemental materials, allowing you to directly attach your published paper for the admissions officers to view. 

If research inspires you, then you should start looking early. We’d highly recommend you try our research mentorship programs like the Lumiere Research Scholar Program or Veritas AI.

If you're unsure about whether doing independent research in high school is the best option for you, here's a short quiz by the College Admissions Book Club that can help you decide!

You can also ask your teachers or school counselors for local resources, or email professors (who are working in your specific field of interest) at a nearby college for an opportunity to work at their lab. 

There are many high school summer research programs that also can guide you throughout the process from start to finish, which you can read about on our website. 

We’ve shared some insights on how college admissions officers view research.

My research experience took place when I was accepted into the New Jersey Governor’s School of Engineering and Technology (GSET), which offers NJ high school juniors the opportunity to work with Rutgers faculty on their research projects in teams. By the end of the four-week summer program, every team was able to publish their own paper, which were submitted to MIT IEEE. Unfortunately, the year I participated was during 2020, but still, having virtual research experience was worth it and I wrote about it extensively in my application. 

2. Community Service and Volunteering

At first glance, you might wonder why community service would be an integral part of your college application since it might not directly exhibit your academic or work-oriented skills. However, colleges are looking for students who possess an awareness of greater social issues and give back to their community, especially because community initiatives can be a great avenue to express leadership abilities through activities like fundraising, campaign building, and outreach. Essentially, colleges are also looking to add valuable members to their own community and how you give back to society is a great signal for how you would contribute in college and beyond.

There are many ways that a student can give back to the community, and it can start with looking for nearby organizations that can match your skill sets and interests. If you love to work with animals, volunteer at a local animal shelter. If you can speak two or more languages, you can translate documents and cards. If you enjoy working with children, you may teach adolescents at your local youth center or summer camp. Don’t forget about soup kitchens, hospitals, and nonprofits – the possibilities are endless!

If you find no organizations in the area that match your interests, you should start your own. A common example is developing a club that is oriented for a specific affinity group, such as a women's mentorship community or safe spaces for individuals with disabilities. The key with volunteering as an extracurricular is to be able to show your commitment over a sustained period, growth in your vision and contribution and hopefully lead an impactful initiative. If you show a one-off volunteering activity without any ties to your personal narrative as a person and any significant impact, you are unlikely to leave a lasting positive impression on an admission officer.

For me, I joined my high school volunteer organization, where I participated and eventually led weekly bake sales, of which the proceeds went to help veterans or senior citizens in my town. The consistent commitment and the leadership I’ve held (even holding the title of Bake Sales Director!) made it a substantial part of my application. 

Other opportunities might include summer volunteering programs, and you check out the article we’ve published highlighting our top 10 picks. 

3. Part-Time Work

In high school, many students experience their first work environment at a part-time job, such as working as a waiter at a nearby restaurant or manning the front desk of a store. While these involvements can take up a significant amount of time in a student’s after-school or weekend schedule, some may worry this would not be good enough to write about in a college application. However, that is very far from the case – there are many positive elements of working while in high school that colleges look for. 

Compared to studying at school, working at a job can be a very different experience, as it requires you to follow obligations professionally, develop customer service skills, and work well with your coworkers. You also start learning more about financial literacy when you begin earning your own paycheck. Discipline, maturity, and responsibility are all attributes you can display as a worker, which may not be as easily shown in a school setting. Moreover, if you develop a close working relationship with your manager or supervisor, you can request for their letter of recommendation that can further exhibit your character to admissions officers.

You may look for local, in-person work experience, but there are also opportunities online. Here are 10 remote jobs for high school students that we’ve identified. 

4. Internships

Internships are very similar to the work experience, but are often more intensive, prestigious, and tailored to a specific industry. While work experience can teach you what it means to be employed, internships are meant to drive careers and develop connections. Often, an internship can help you determine whether you’d like to pursue a certain major in college, since you get a sneak peek of what working in that field is like. Similarly, universities value students who are well-informed about their area of interest and are building the necessary skills to succeed. We’d recommend you check out Ladder Internships because you not only get diverse opportunities, but you also receive structured mentorship throughout your internship and it is remote!

Before searching for internships, evaluate what industries interest you. Would you like to work in animation, medicine, or computer science? Then, you can see whether internship programs exist within your chosen scope or connect with mentors that can guide you. To stand out, make sure you have a clear, detailed reason to mention in your application or interviews.

High school internships may be hard to find, but luckily, we’ve compiled a helpful list of 12 summer internships that you may apply for. 

5. Academic Competitions 

In other extracurricular activities, it can be hard to “rank” your efforts, as often these experiences offer a qualitative boost to your skills rather than assessing them quantitatively. But that’s not the case for academic competitions, since you will be scored against other competing students or teams while under the pressure of a time limit. 

Because there is often a lot to prepare for these competitions, they can be stressful, but if you are able to receive recognition for your work with medals or awards, you’ll be proud to list them in your college application. The prestige of your accomplishments also rise with the level of the competition, as you work your way throughout regional, state, national, to international tournaments. In addition, if you work within a team, you can exhibit leadership by becoming team captain or president of your school’s club to pilot your fellow members to victory.

Some very popular contests for high schoolers include the Quizbowl, Science Olympiad, and American Mathematics Competition (AMC). If you want to know more about these competitions or look for other ones that you can join, consider reading our lists of 15 online competitions and 12 olympiads for high school students.

If your school participates in the Academic Decathlon, I’d recommend giving it a try. It’s a team-based academic competition that focuses on ten subject areas (math, english, science, social science, music, economics, literature, art, interview, and speech) revolving around a singular topic (like the Cold War or Africa). It’s a great opportunity to not only win medals in areas that you’d like to specialize in, but also become a team leader, as I led my team into Nationals for a couple years as a Team Captain. 

6. Playing an instrument

Ever thought about joining the orchestra or band? That can be a great addition to your college application, since playing an instrument can demonstrate your dedication and creativity. Even if you don’t choose a music major in university, music skills are very impressive and are associated with educational excellence. It doesn’t really matter what instrument you play, as long as you clearly show your commitment to musicship. 

There are many avenues of music that you can explore beyond taking lessons or joining the local ensemble. For example, similar to academic competitions, you can shine in piano competitions and perform in front of hundreds (even thousands!) of people. You can be invited to play at concert halls or showcases. You may even compose, record, and distribute your own music online through platforms like SoundCloud or YouTube. The beauty of music is that there are so many ways you can reach people, and is a skill that can only be refined through hours of devotion and dedication.

7. Student Council

Wow! You’ve been successfully elected as the School Council President, congratulations! That’ll definitely guarantee your college acceptance… right?

A big misconception about being elected into student council is that the position alone will draw in impressed looks from admissions officers. Being a part of the student council provides not only the title, but also the influence and opportunity that you have in bettering the student community. It’s great that you got elected as School President – now what did you do while serving in that role? 

Take, for example, a School President who started classes on financial literacy and college prep resources that were incredibly helpful for the student population. Then, by organizing book drives and charity dances, they raised over $10,000 for much-needed renovations of the school library. Furthermore, they were able to negotiate with the board administrators and the parent-teacher association to eventually succeed in implementing a peer tutoring program to improve mental health for struggling students. 

Doesn’t that student sound more like a go-getter who can take initiative and contribute to their community as an effective leader? Likewise, if you run for student council, you should carefully consider how you can help your community and accomplish your goals. It actually doesn’t matter what position you’re in, such as Treasurer or Class Representative, as long as you make clear what impact you’ve had during your tenure. 

8. Passion Project

To highlight more of your creative and independent side, passion projects are where you can pursue your hobbies or interests without being tied to a big organization or commitment. They may pertain to your desired major in college, such as computer science students designing their own website or engineering students creating their own inventions. However, this is also a way for students to show a side to them not obvious in their academic or extracurricular activities, such as a STEM student who self-publishes an original fantasy novel or establishes their own nonprofit. The exact nature of the passion project may vary, but they can overlap with many of the other activities we’ve mentioned on this list, such as community service or research experience.

To determine what passion project you want to lead, you need to determine what passion you’d like to pursue and what goals you have in your project. Then, you may find what resources you have available to you and also see if you can talk to a mentor who can guide you through the project. If you succeed, then you can show drive, initiative, intellectual curiosity, and diversity of experience throughout your application, which admissions officers will appreciate. 

Need ideas on what you can do for your passion project? Here’s 30 of them that we’ve suggested in this article. 

Although I applied as a biomedical engineering major, I made sure to talk about my passion for digital art in my application and interview for Harvard, such as starting a webcomic on my original story. Focusing solely on the numbers and accomplishments can only capture so much – being able to share your hobbies and interests makes you more human in the eyes of the admissions officers.

9. Sports

Athletics can be a great supplement to your application, as they can show commitment and teamwork. For some, sports can be their ticket to college, as they can be recruited to play for the school directly. This process can be very intensive, such as attending recruiting camps, training independently, spending the summers practicing and competing, playing on multiple teams, and being qualified to play at the D1/D3 level. 

Even if you’re not aiming for a sports scholarship, you can still participate in varsity sports and perform well at championships if it’s something that you love to do. Being able to train persistently, winning a league MVP award for your achievements, and becoming the team captain can tell your admissions officers how much you’re able to pour time and effort into a difficult yet rewarding activity. 

It’s critical to mention that you don’t need to play sports to get into a good college – in fact, many high schoolers (including me) don’t! However, it’s still a factor that’s considered in many colleges. Harvard, for instance, rates students on a 1-6 scale on many components, including athletics. If you’re looking to boost your application, this might be it.

10. Summer Involvements

This may be a more vague area compared to the others in this list, since it’s not specific to a certain activity or extracurricular, but it’s important nonetheless. Summer breaks are a perfect chance for students to fully immerse themselves into a specific program or interest without being impeded by schoolwork or clubs. In particular, the summer after junior year will be especially informative for colleges, since they may expect that you’ve been productive during that time. Therefore, consider what you can do during your precious summertime, such as doing any of the other activities on this list: part-time jobs, passion projects, and community service. 

Another useful area to consider are college programs, such as scientific research programs or pre-college programs. Not only are they meant to teach ambitious students on important career skills or greater world issues, but they also offer a preview of what the college experience is like, such as living in the dorms, eating at the dining halls, or talking to faculty members. If you find that you love the campus of the college program you attended, you may also benefit from a higher chance of getting into said college because you’ve demonstrated interest in attending their summer program. 

Many highly sought-after colleges including the Ivy League and MIT have interesting and unique programs available. To learn about them and how to apply, check out our picks for the 15 best free summer programs and 10 pre-college summer programs in 2023.

If you’re looking to get your college application reviewed by college admissions experts, consider EarlyBird!

Your application materials will be reviewed by a collective of former admissions officers from highly selective universities, each member of their team having worked in the admissions office at a Top 40 ranked liberal arts college or university.

EarlyBird offers a comprehensive review across your transcript, testing, school profile, a supplemental essay and your CommonApp, and is a solid option if you’re looking to cement your acceptance at your dream school.

One other option – Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you are interested in doing university-level research in STEM and other subjects, then you could also consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, a selective online high school program for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.

Lydia is currently a junior at Harvard University, studying Molecular and Cellular Biology and Economics. In high school, she was the captain of her high school’s Academic Decathlon team and attended the Governor's School of Engineering and Technology. In her spare time, she likes to create digital art while listening to music.